WLIP K-Town Rewind 2/22/19

The American Civil Liberties Union is raising concerns about a cheerleaders’ awards banquet from a year ago. In a letter to the Kenosha Unified School District, the ACLU took aim at awards handed out to several students at the March 2018 Tremper High School cheerleading event, which at least one parent-and Kenosha Unified official- deemed to be body shaming. However, according to the ACLU, the coach in charge of the event was not disciplined and instead invited back to work with the team this year. The awards had degrading names based on a girl’s physical attributes or personality traits. The ACLU says that the awards violate federal “Title Nine” protections prohibiting discrimination based on sex. The organization says they want all KUSD employees-including all teachers and coaches-to undergo mandatory anti-harassment training. Tanya Ruder, with KUSD, says that the district is aware of the letter and that such awards will not be presented in the future. However she could not comment on personnel matters.

The city of Kenosha is about buy three properties downtown as part of its Downtown Vision Plan. That plan calls for the city to tear down several buildings-including city hall-and redevelop the area. At last night’s meeting, the common council approved the purchase of three adjoining properties near the 54 and 55-hundred blocks of 8th avenue. A new municipal building would be erected at Sheridan Road and 56th street, and a green space as well as residential units would be created. In all, the project could be worth 400-million dollars.The city may close on the one point six million dollar purchase as early as next week.

The defense for a Milwaukee teen accused of killing a Kenosha man has scored an early pretrial victory. The defense for Chrystal Kizer will be able to use an investigation into Randal Volar to help develop a defense for trial. The 17 year old Kizer allegedly shot and killed Volar in his Kenosha home before setting it on fire. Attorneys asked the court to allow them to view evidence that Volar was involved in sex trafficking before he was killed. Kizer’s argument may be that she killed him in self defense and they would use the police investigation to help prove their point. However the judge in the case has not ruled whether or not that evidence will be admissible at trial.

One of the land disputes over Foxconn is headed to court. A challenge over imminent domain by Rodney and Cathy Jensen will go to trial in July to try and keep their property. The Jensen’s have lived on Frontage Road near Durand Avenue for a quarter of a century. They have rejected an offer from the Village of Mt Pleasant.The Jensen’s are part of an increasingly small group still holding out from selling their land for the industrial development; 877 acres have been transferred so far from the village to Foxconn. The Jensen property is in area 1, where fellow property owners, Jim and Kim Mahoney, are also holding out. In area 2, 420 acres are still not sold as is a vacant 2-point-8 acres in area 3. The Jensen’s case was dismissed from federal court and has been refiled in Racine County Circuit Court.

A 19 year Kenosha Police veteran has lost his job after serving time for DUI. Greg Munnelly was fired yesterday by the Police and Fire Commission after spending 40 days in jail. The official reason was his apparent failure to show the commission a valid driver’s license; something that is required for employment with the police department. Police Chief Daniel Miskinis recommended Munnelly be terminated. Munnelly’s DUI conviction stems from a crash that happened in November 2017 when Munnelly reportedly crashed into the back of a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection in Oak Creek, causing injuries to the other driver. Munnelly pleaded guilty and served time in the Milwaukee County Jail. He also issued a written apology for the incident.

A call by a man who claimed to have killed one person, and threatened violence against others, turned out to be a hoax. The call came in to Pleasant Prairie authorities on Monday morning. The caller claimed to have shot and killed someone, was holding two hostages, and would kill anyone who arrived in the area of 85th Street and Old Green Bay Road. Police locked down a couple of nearby businesses (including this radio station) and searched the area, but turned up no evidence of criminal activity. Police believe the incident was a “swatting” call where someone looks to steer a large police presence to a scene through a hoax call. Investigators are now looking for that caller.